Dr. Andrea Malmont teaches while Abby rests.

Youngest 'student' helps classmates

By John McGinley

You could call Abby Malmont a non-traditional student: She splits her time between the Shippensburg University campus and elementary school classrooms in Franklin County. Or you could call Abby an effective teacher since she spends time in the faculty offices and classrooms on the second floor of Shippen Hall. No matter what you call her, it's clear that wherever Abby goes, she effortlessly brightens the world around her and teaches life lessons every day. Not bad for a one-year-old with no degree.

As a participant in The Seeing Eye program, Malmont, assistant professor of teacher education, adopted Abby as a puppy, endured the frustrations of puppydom, trained her and started bringing her into classes last summer. "I brought Abby into school for the experience. I did it because I needed to have her experience it but I never realized the impact she has on students, both graduate and undergraduates," Malmont said. "I have students who say 'I'm really going to miss Abby' and that Abby's what they'll remember most about being here."

Senior elementary education major Rosetta Mazur among those. "Everybody knows Abby," Mazur, of Levittown, said. "She stays in our class the whole time. If you're giving a presentation, she'll sit down right next to you at the front of the class. It helps to ease the stress."

Malmont said the first time she brought Abby into class it became an educational experience for students. "I talked about the class and the syllabus and about Abby. It really was not only about Abby, but also about service dogs." Malmont sees the power of Abby every day, whether the black Lab/Golden Retriever mix is listening to kids read, soothing a seriously ill woman in a hospital or making the atmosphere in Shippen Hall calmer and more civil. Others have noticed her impact too.

"I think having Abby in the department has managed to bring almost a bonding of everyone" including students and faculty, says Dr. Christine Royce, associate professor of teacher education. "I find people interacting more around Abby."

Abby spends her time darting in and out of offices and classrooms, sometimes carrying a stuffed toy in her mouth, other times lying in the hallway, her legs extended into the air. Two days a week she visits elementary school children including three classrooms at Fayetteville Elementary School on Fridays where she visits first graders, special needs students and a learning support classroom for 4th and 5th grade students. On Thursdays she visits Nikki Aurand's third-grade class at Hamilton Heights Elementary School.

That's where she was on a recent gray Thursday. In the back of a cozy classroom with letters of the alphabet brightening the walls, Abby, wearing a green vest that says "The Seeing Eye Puppy Raising Program," waits with Malmont. The children are intently writing in their journals. "I'm going to pick kids who are doing a really good job and they can go back and read to Abby," Aurand said.

When Malmont moves around the room, Abby stays seated, but watches intently. When Malmont drops out of sight, Abby's attention moves to the children, she lies down and lets out a sigh. As Malmont moves back into view, Abby finally can't stand it anymore and gets up. With a simple raise of Malmont's arm and a noise, Abby sits again.

One by one children are invited to "Go share what they have with Miss Abby." After reading their entry to Malmont and Abby each student gets a bookmark. One little girl giggles when Abby rolls onto her back and on top of the bookmark she had picked out.

Aurand says the presence of a dog also brings students out of their shells, engages and motivates them. "I use it more as a motivator," she said. "They really do work hard on the stories all week hoping they get to read to Abby. Even today they were writing and, as Abby would come around, they would stick their hands out to her as she went by," she said.

Malmont estimates she has had well over 100 dogs come in and out of her house during her work with rescue groups over the years. "It is rewarding, but it wasn't enough for me. So I thought, what can I do that would make a difference?"

She participates in the Seeing Eye program through the local 4-H Club. Once a month the club meets and spends time training the puppies. Generally, breeds considered for the Seeing Eye program, Malmont says, are German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and boxers. Adoptive families take the puppies to parades, go to nursing homes and do presentations to clubs to socialize the dogs. Seeing Eye pays veterinary and food bills.

About the time Abby turns 16 months in April Malmont expects to get a week's notice from The Seeing Eye, before they come to transport her to Morristown, N.J., where she will be evaluated, spayed and trained. If she is suited for seeing eye work, Abby will be paired with a person. Malmont said the Seeing Eye dog represents a $50,000 investment, yet their human partner pays only $150.

Ironically, even though she's grown up on a college campus, Malmont said she's already been told Abby probably will go to an older person because of her "laid back" personality. If she doesn't qualify, Abby could qualify for other service roles. If not she would be offered to the people who raised her or people on a waiting list to adopt those dogs as pets.

Malmont hopes Abby qualifies, but says that if she doesn't, she and her husband have already decided they can't take her. They already have two Pomeranians and a corgi at home, including Abby's play companion, Miss Daisy. However, if the day comes when Abby retires from assisting and needs a home, Malmont said, she and her husband would take her in. She'd like to train another puppy for Seeing Eye, this time hopefully a Golden Retriever.

Meanwhile, there are bound to be some tearful goodbyes on campus and in the Malmont home this spring.

John McGinley is the graduate assistant in the Office of Communications & Marketing.